The Inheritance of the Sons | Idowu O. Babalola

When we think about what Christ has done for us, it is natural to begin with what He has rescued us from. We were sinners and needed forgiveness. We were separated from God and needed reconciliation. We were under condemnation and needed justification. We were dead in sins and needed life. But the New Testament does not stop there. The same people who have been forgiven are called children of God. The same people who have been reconciled are called heirs. The same people who have been delivered from darkness are described as belonging to a Kingdom. The same people who have received the Spirit are told that the Spirit is the guarantee of an inheritance still to come. Paul's prayer in Ephesians 1 makes this especially clear. After speaking about redemption, forgiveness, adoption, and the purpose of God in Christ, he prays that the eyes of believers' understanding would be enlightened so that they might know “the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:18). Paul did not consider it enough for believers to know that they had been saved. He wanted them to understand the calling into which they had been brought and the inheritance associated with that calling. This is important because it changes the way we understand the Christian life. If salvation were only about escaping judgment, then once a person knew that he was forgiven, the larger question would be settled. But if salvation brings a person into God's eternal purpose, then forgiveness is the beginning of a larger journey. God does not merely remove our guilt and leave us without a destination. He reconciles us to Himself and then brings us into what He has purposed in His Son. The inheritance tells us that there is a destination to redemption.

Salvation Brings Us Into Something

Christ Is the Heir of All Things

The inheritance cannot be understood without first looking at Christ. Hebrews begins its revelation of the Son by saying that God has appointed Him “heir of all things” (Hebrews 1:2). This is not a minor description of Jesus. It tells us something about His position within the purpose of God. Christ is the heir. Everything concerning the inheritance must therefore be understood in relation to Him. Paul says that all things were created by Christ and for Christ (Colossians 1:16). He is before all things, and all things consist by Him. God has purposed to gather together “all things in Christ” in the fullness of times (Ephesians 1:10). The inheritance is therefore not an independent possession that God happens to give to Christians. It belongs within the larger purpose of God in His Son. This also explains why Scripture does not present the Christian's future as simply receiving a collection of rewards. The centre of the inheritance is Christ Himself and participation in what God is accomplishing in Him. The Son is the heir. And those who have been joined to the Son are brought into His inheritance. Paul says that believers are “heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17). That is an astonishing statement. The believer does not become an independent owner alongside Christ. He becomes a joint-heir with Christ. His inheritance is derived from his relationship to the Son. This is why everything we have been considering leads back to Christ. If we want to understand the destiny of man, we look at Christ. If we want to understand sonship, we look at Christ. If we want to understand the inheritance, we look at Christ. If we want to understand the age to come, we look at Christ. The purpose of God is not ultimately a collection of things. It is centred in a Person.

The Sons Are Heirs With the Son

Paul's statement in Romans 8 becomes even more significant when we read the verses around it. He says: “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:16–17). There is a progression here. The Spirit bears witness that we are God's children. Because we are children, we are heirs. Because we are heirs, we are joint-heirs with Christ. Inheritance is therefore connected to sonship. But Scripture's understanding of sonship is deeper than simply having a new title. Sonship speaks of relationship with the Father, belonging to Him, being formed by Him, and ultimately being brought into the purpose He has for His sons. This is why Paul immediately connects being joint-heirs with Christ to suffering and glory: “If so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” The inheritance is connected to glory. The glory is connected to Christ. And the believer's journey is therefore not merely from guilt to forgiveness. It is from alienation into sonship, from sonship into inheritance, and from present participation into future glory. This does not mean that suffering purchases the inheritance. The inheritance is God's gracious gift. Rather, Scripture shows that those who share in Christ's life also follow Him through the path by which God brings His sons to glory. That is why Hebrews can speak of Christ as the One who is “bringing many sons unto glory” (Hebrews 2:10). The destination is glory. The One leading us there is the Son. And the people being brought there are sons.

An Heir Must Be Prepared for What He Is to Receive

This is where the language of inheritance begins to reveal something about God's present work in us. An inheritance can be prepared long before the heir is ready to carry the responsibility associated with it. Paul uses this very idea in Galatians 4. He says that an heir, “as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all” (Galatians 4:1). The child has the position of an heir, but he has not yet reached the maturity associated with the full exercise of that position. This gives us a helpful way to understand why God is concerned with our formation. God is not simply preparing an inheritance for His people. He is preparing His people for the inheritance. The distinction matters. If God were only interested in giving us something, then our formation would be secondary. But if He is preparing us to participate in something, then the kind of people we become matters deeply. This is why the New Testament speaks so much about maturity, holiness, obedience, endurance, discernment, love, faithfulness, and conformity to Christ. These are not unrelated moral lessons added to the Christian faith. They are part of God's preparation of His sons. The inheritance is glorious. Therefore, God is forming people who can participate in what He has prepared. This also helps us understand why Christian maturity cannot mean independence from God. A mature son is not one who no longer needs the Father. He is one who has been formed sufficiently to carry the responsibility of sonship while remaining completely dependent upon the Father. Christ Himself shows us this perfectly. He lived in complete dependence upon the Father and yet carried the greatest responsibility entrusted to humanity.

The Inheritance Is Not Merely a Place

We should therefore be careful when we speak about the Christian's future. If we say that our inheritance is simply “heaven,” we may use a true word while giving the impression that Scripture's whole expectation can be reduced to a location. The New Testament speaks about an inheritance, but it also speaks about the Kingdom, resurrection, glory, the age to come, the redemption of the body, the manifestation of the sons of God, and the renewal of creation. These belong together. Jesus said that those who leave things for His sake will receive “in the world to come eternal life” (Mark 10:30). He spoke about inheriting the Kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world (Matthew 25:34). Paul speaks about believers receiving an inheritance and about the future redemption of the body (Ephesians 1:13–14; Romans 8:23). Peter speaks of an inheritance that is incorruptible and undefiled (1 Peter 1:4). The biblical picture is therefore not simply that believers escape from the created order. God is bringing His purpose to fulfilment. The inheritance belongs to that larger fulfilment. This is consistent with the direction of Scripture itself. The Bible does not end with redeemed humanity simply disappearing from the story. Revelation ends with God dwelling with humanity and with the declaration that “the tabernacle of God is with men” (Revelation 21:3). The final picture is not the abandonment of God's purpose. It is its consummation.

The Kingdom Is Part of the Inheritance

Jesus' language concerning the Kingdom makes this even clearer. When He speaks of the future judgment in Matthew 25, He says to those on His right hand: “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34). The Kingdom is something to be inherited. And notice when it was prepared: “from the foundation of the world.” This takes us back again to the eternal purpose. The Kingdom is not a last-minute solution to the problems of human history. It belongs to God's purpose. This is why Jesus' proclamation of the Kingdom was central to His ministry. He was not simply offering people a better life within the present age. He was announcing the rule of God and calling people to respond to it. The Kingdom therefore belongs to the larger destiny of the people of God. Paul could tell the Corinthians that “the saints shall judge the world” (1 Corinthians 6:2). He could even ask, “Know ye not that we shall judge angels?” (1 Corinthians 6:3). These statements are difficult to understand if we think of salvation only as escaping punishment. But they make sense if God is preparing His sons for participation in His Kingdom and purpose. The future God has prepared for His people involves responsibility.

Authority Without Character Would Contradict God's Purpose

Yet this is precisely where we must be careful. When Scripture speaks about believers judging the world or angels, it is not inviting us to become fascinated with power. The purpose of God is not to take people who are ruled by sin and simply give them greater authority. God is doing something much deeper. He is conforming them to the image of His Son. Romans 8:29 says that those whom God foreknew He predestined “to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” This is the preparation of the heirs. God is not merely giving sons an inheritance. He is making them like the Son. That is why Christ is central to the entire process. If the future involves participation in God's rule, then the people who participate must be people who have been formed in the character of the King. Authority without character would be completely out of harmony with God's purpose. The Kingdom does not need redeemed rebels who merely possess power. God is forming sons who know the Father, bear the image of the Son, walk by the Spirit, and can be trusted with the responsibilities of the age to come. This gives a deeper meaning to spiritual formation. God is not simply trying to make us better people. He is preparing us for His purpose.

The Inheritance Is Connected to Resurrection and Glory

The inheritance also explains why resurrection is so important. Paul says that “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption” (1 Corinthians 15:50). He then describes the transformation that will take place when mortality puts on immortality and corruption puts on incorruption. The body matters because God's purpose for humanity reaches beyond the present condition of our bodies. We are not merely souls waiting to leave the body forever. The gospel includes the redemption of the body. Paul says that believers who have the firstfruits of the Spirit are “waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body” (Romans 8:23). This is important because it shows again that what God has begun in us has a future completion. We have the Spirit now. We await the redemption of the body. We are children now. We await the full manifestation of what we shall be. We belong to Christ now. We await the glory that will be revealed. The inheritance is therefore not detached from resurrection. The future God has prepared requires the transformation of the whole person.

Creation Is Waiting for the Sons to Be Revealed

Romans 8 takes the matter even further. Paul says that “the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God” (Romans 8:19). Creation is waiting. This means that what God is doing in His sons is not an isolated matter between individuals and God. It has significance within the larger purpose of creation itself. Creation presently groans under corruption. Believers groan within themselves as they wait for the redemption of their bodies. And Paul looks forward to a liberation that involves creation itself. This is another reason the inheritance cannot be reduced to personal comfort after death. The inheritance belongs to a much larger story. God is dealing with sin. God is redeeming His people. God is bringing His sons to glory. God is dealing with corruption. And His purpose moves toward a renewed order in which His people will participate in what He has prepared. We should not claim more detail than Scripture gives us about exactly how every part of this will unfold. But the direction is clear. The redemption of God's people and the restoration of creation belong to the larger purpose of God.

The Age to Come Will Reveal What Is Hidden Now

One of the reasons the inheritance can seem difficult to grasp is that much of what belongs to it has not yet appeared. John says: “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be” (1 John 3:2). That is a remarkable statement. Now are we the sons of God. The reality is present. It doth not yet appear what we shall be. The fullness is future. The same pattern appears throughout Scripture: God’s purpose has been revealed, but not everything has yet been manifested. The purpose has been revealed, but not everything has been manifested. Christ has come, but the fullness of His reign has not yet appeared in the way Scripture describes its consummation. We have received the Spirit, but we await the redemption of our bodies. We are children and heirs, but the full manifestation of the inheritance is still ahead. Paul even speaks of “the ages to come” and says that God will show in them “the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7). The future therefore is not simply a blank space after death. The ages to come are part of the revelation of God's grace. What God has begun, He will bring to its appointed fullness.

The Inheritance Is a Promise, Not a Tool for Earthly Ambition

There is another danger we must avoid. When we hear about Kingdom authority, inheritance, reigning, and glory, we can easily bring earthly ideas of greatness into a heavenly reality. We may begin to think of the inheritance as an opportunity for personal elevation. But the New Testament's picture is completely different. The Son who is the heir of all things is also the One who humbled Himself, became a servant, suffered, and gave His life. The path to glory passed through humility and obedience. Therefore, whatever authority God gives His people in the age to come cannot be understood as an extension of human ambition. The people who will share in Christ's glory are being conformed to Christ now. The inheritance does not magnify self. It reveals the wisdom of God in bringing redeemed humanity into His purpose through the Son. This is why the more clearly we understand what God has prepared, the more deeply our hearts should be drawn toward Christ rather than toward ourselves. The inheritance belongs to the Son. We inherit with Him.

What God Is Preparing Us For Is Greater Than What We Can See

We can now see why the Christian life cannot be measured only by present circumstances. A believer may experience very little outwardly and yet be deeply involved in the purpose of God. Another may experience great earthly prosperity and yet fail to understand what God is actually doing. The inheritance teaches us to measure the present by the future God has promised, rather than measuring God's purpose by the present. This is why Paul could speak about present suffering in relation to future glory. He says that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us (Romans 8:18). He was not denying suffering. He was putting it within a larger reality. There is a glory coming. There is an inheritance reserved. There is a Kingdom prepared. There is a resurrection promised. There is a purpose unfolding. And there is a people whom God is preparing for what He has prepared. This is why our present formation matters so much. The life we live now is not disconnected from the destiny God has prepared for us.

The Inheritance Reveals the Destiny of the Sons

We have now come to the heart of the matter. God's purpose is eternal. Christ is the centre of that purpose. Christ is the heir of all things. Those who belong to Christ are made children of God and joint-heirs with Him. The inheritance reaches into the Kingdom and the age to come. The fullness of that inheritance involves resurrection and glory. Creation itself waits for the manifestation of God's sons. And God is presently forming those sons in the image of Christ. This means that the inheritance is not merely something God intends to give us. It reveals something about what God intends to do with us. He is bringing sons to glory. He is preparing them for participation in His Kingdom. He is conforming them to the image of His Son. He is bringing them into an inheritance that belongs to Christ. And He is doing all of this according to the eternal purpose He purposed in Christ Jesus. The inheritance therefore takes us beyond the question, “What will I receive?” It brings us to the much deeper question: “What is God making me for?” That question takes us directly into the relationship between inheritance and responsibility. Because if God is preparing His sons to share in the rule of Christ, then maturity is not simply about knowing more Scripture, having more spiritual experiences, or becoming more disciplined. Maturity prepares a son to carry what the Father entrusts to him. And Scripture gives us glimpses of a future in which the saints will participate in the administration of God's Kingdom, share in Christ's reign, and even judge the world and angels. The question that follows is therefore unavoidable: “What kind of maturity is God looking for in those whom He will entrust with the responsibilities of the age to come?” That is where we go next.